“Tech giant Microsoft has revamped its corporate logo for the first time in 25 years. The new design was unveiled this week and has received a range of criticism online,” Jason Fell reports for Entrepreneur. “Some describe the new logo as clean and simple, while others are calling it an outright failure.”

“Among those who think Microsoft’s new logo leaves a lot to be desired is longtime graphic designer John Williams, founder of Nashville, Tenn.-based do-it-yourself logo-creation website LogoGarden.com,” Fell reports. “Williams explains how he thinks Microsoft dropped the ball with its new design and offers advice on how the rest of us can create better company logos.”

• Pick a font that fits your design
• Pick a symbol that looks great even when printed in black and white
• Make sure your font and symbol are a good match

As a designer of things like this, I can say with some authority that sometimes I will throw in a “mulligan” designed to be cast-off in the process of leading the client to the design that I want them to choose…

I wonder if the designer in this case used the same tactic and is now bitterly regretting it. MS will no doubt use this logo for…well, for as long as they remain in business, is my guess. At least I hope they do!